Miracle? Yes, it was a miracle
by TatianaTova
Summary: This is story #2 in the Their Lives, Their Thoughts Series. Toby's thoughts about inaugurations


While I was writing the "Against All Odds", I began thinking about Andy and Toby. This is what I got. Same as the first story, I wrote it in one seating. I hope that you will like it.

There are a lot of Yiddish words in the story. The translations are at the end.

The reviews are always welcome and appreciated.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Miracle? Yes, it was a miracle.

In 25 years it was his seventh inauguration. First two, he was a member of the stuff, a person who spent most of the time writing and polishing speech and of cause reliable person to ask advice or opinion on the variety of topics. He always spoke his mind and most of the time was right.

The third inauguration he watched on the TV because he was a pariah, a menace with whom no one wanted to be in the same room. He knew that he had only a few weeks before he had to report to jail. He thought that he was ready. He did not look forward to it, but he knew that he cannot ask for padrone, and even if he asked, he will never get one. Before the end of the inauguration, the phone rang. He did not know who could call him at this hour when everyone who called him was at the Mall. He answered the phone and was surprised by Sam asking the proper spelling of his full name. It took him a few seconds to remember that his full name was Tobias Zachary Ziegler. It took him a few more seconds to ask Sam why he needed it, and for Sam to tell him, "Latter", and hang-up. A few hours later his attorney called and informed him that he had full pardon signed not just by one President, but by two presidents, including newly sworn-in President Santos. He called Sam and asked him what "the hell had happened? And what wrong with my name?" Sam told him that whoever filled in the pardon papers did not use his full name, they just wrote Toby Ziegler. The justice department cut it and sent it back to the counselor's office. Because Ainsley was in the office and saw the fax. She immediately created the affidavit for the correction of the name, but no one knew the proper spelling of his name. She called Sam, Sam call Toby. After the affidavit was finished, Ainsley signed it. While she was signing it, Babish walked in and asked her what she was doing. After she explained, he signed the affidavit too. While they were looking for the messenger, the new COS and President walked through the hallway. They saw frantic Babish and Ainsley and asked what was going on. Ainsley again explained, Babish added that he also signed, just in case they will not believe her signature because she works first day. The President asked to look at the paper and sign it too. Toby became the only person in the history of the pardons who had signatures of two presidents on it. A few years later it became the holiday must-tell-story to all their friends.

The fourth inauguration he spent in Colombia University answering questions and pointing to the mistakes of the students. He did not watch TV nor was interested to see it. He knew that the new president despised them all and his agenda was to destroy everything that Presidents Bartlet and Santos did. Later that day, he called his friend to check how he was doing, but Donna told him that Josh was sleeping and she will not wake him up. He called his children, talked to them for a few minutes and asked Andy what she will do now with the Republican president and Congress. Two years later Andrea Wyatt of Maryland lost re-election to a rising star of the Republican Party. He took her home and helped her to see the future. He told her that in the morning she will wake up, make breakfast, will go for the walk, come back home and will wait for children to come back from school. He told her that her life had not ended and showed to her a napkin with the "Andrea Wyatt for President" written in his steady hand. She looked at him and added, "-Ziegler". After he stopped asking her to marry him, she asked him to marry her. He told her that it would be a bad idea, that he still menace and that she will lose if he would be next to her. She told him that she will run in 6 years, and during this time everyone will use to see him next to her. She added that he does not need to have an agenda or do anything in the White House, he can be just father to their children and husband to her. Three days later they flew to Atlantic City and became husband and wife for the second time.

The fifth inauguration he really hated. He stood next to her, smiled, and tried to project total peace of mind. His beard and mustache were properly trimmed. His tuxedo was properly altered and he was there as the supportive husband. He did not talk about politics or anything remotely connected to politics. He pretended to be a piece of furniture in the ballroom. He knew that he was there for her. In two years she will be running for the highest office in the country. He talked her into it, he must help her as much as possible. They were happy; he did not need to pretend that he loved his wife, but he hatted all the pretenses of the inaugural ball. His mind chanted nonstop: two more years, two more years, two more years… When he called Josh, Josh asked him what he was doing, why he acted like he totally lost his mind. In two years, Josh would know, because Josh would be running her campaign and he would be helping Josh to put her in the Office. He will be polishing her speeches and he will never again feel like an idiot.

The sixth inauguration was a total disaster. Who can imagine that on January 20th the skies will open and the rain will be pouring down even though the temperature would be in the low 30th? But he believed in miracles and remembered that his bubbe told him that everything that began in rain ended well. He stood on the balcony in front of the Chief Justice holding his great-great-grandfather's Tanakh that survived innumerable pogroms, two revolutions, ghetto, and immigration. Her right hand was on the Book, and she was repeating the words after Chief Justice Evelyn Baker Lang. He remembered the debate with Josh about her, Josh knew that she would be perfect for the Chief Justice position, and he pushed and he managed to put her on the bench. And now two great women were together on the stage and he knew that they were the future.

The seventh inauguration was simple. It was cold, but not too cold. Again he stood with the Tanakh printed in 1870th and purchased for the yeshiva bokher by his loving father in 1877. Her hand again was on the Book that saw so much and was taken from its case only for the special occasions. Their children stood next to him. The Chief Justice Lang again was swearing her in. Her COS, Donnatella Moss-Lyman, was seated next to her husband and quietly smiled. Joshua Lyman, the man who literally created a miracle, was seated next to her, and probably the first time in many years his eyes were full of life. Next to them seat one more powerful woman of the White House, Ainsley Hayes-Seaborn with her husband Samuel N. Seaborn. She was a White House Counsel, she was strong and opinionated Republican, but she really knew what she was doing. These three women, Andy, Donna, and Ainsley, were loved and heated at the same time. Some called them mother-hens, some called them the White House witches or bitches. But Toby knew that these three women made a life of many people easier. The schools got more money, the medical reform which was the part of the agenda for the first 4 years basically covered everyone; no longer people needed to lose everything to have the necessary surgery. Andy had 4 more years, the girls had 4 more years to push for higher wages and less poverty. Yes, men stepped back, yes they helped when they were asked, but it was a miracle in itself that Andrea Wyatt-Ziegler, Donnatella Moss-Lyman, and Ainsley Hayes-Seaborn had even met, became friends, and pushed their men for greater things while achieving the highest possible positions in the political word.

Yes, it was a miracle created by three men who loved their women more than the life itself.

Notes:

Tanakh-The Hebrew Bible, also called the Tanakh or Mikra, is the canonical collection of Jewish texts.  
bubbe-grandmother  
pogroms-an organized massacre of Jews in Russia or eastern Europe.  
yeshiva bokher- a student at the Jewish religious school.


End file.
